12/30 Via Napoli Pizza Window Review, Illuminations, Marlee Matlin Candlelight, NYE MK Fireworks!

Hi everyone!

It's a little embarassing to publish a blog article before it's fully finished (and not even know about it until I received a comment!) Thanks Heather Joy! 🙂

We spent the last two evenings at Epcot – not expecting to be able to do much (our main plan was to stop by the Via Napoli pizza window and see Illuminations).  However, while Future World was packed, we were able to get a great seat for the Candlelight Processional in the standby line BOTH nights (ithe lines were really short!)  We also were able to snag a great location for Illuminations at the last minute and photograph/record the Magic Kingdom New Years Eve fireworks from the Polynesian Resort (on 12/30).

It was pretty busy as we entered World Showcase the first night, but the crowds were much lower as we headed past Norway and China.  There were already bar areas set up for the crowds, and the stages for NYE were almost finished.  We aren't going to go to Epcot for New Years Eve this year – maybe no Disney park (the only one I think I'd venture to would be DHS – amazing fireworks infused with rock music by Mulch, Sweat and Shears).  Epcot is too techno-heavy for me.

 

 

 

We stopped by the Via Napoli pizza window, which is testing through mid-January. The thick crust pizza was not as good as the thin pizza that we have had at inside, but it was decent and filling, and they certainly didn't skimp on the cheese.  We also split the mini canoli (and when they say mini, they mean it!) The pizza was $6.50 per slice and the canoli $3.00. The canoli was very good, but really only enough for a couple of bites.  (I don't know if the pizza is made inside, it does not taste like anything I've had at Via Napoli – so don't go expecting that).

 

 

 

 

There was a short line for the Candlelight Processional the first night, and this is also what happened on 12/30 – we got on line about 45 minutes prior to showtime, and this is what I saw to my left:

 

 

We didn't even know who was narrating when we got on line – it was Marlee Matlin, and in 15 or so years of going to the Candlelight Processional, I've never seen her (she said she's been narrating for 12 years).  Matlin is tremendously gracious, warm, enjoyable to watch as she signs.  Her longtime friend, interpreter and business partner Jack Jason (who I thought was from Disney with his rich voice) has been with her for about 25 years, since the movie Children of a Lesser God. That is still what I remember her from more than anything. We have videos here from the first and second night!